Dharavi to get a museum soon

The world’s first slum museum is coming up at Dharavi, one of the largest slum locality of the globe.

The mobile museum among other things will showcase the life of Dharavi including its various trades that exist here, the food and other aspects.

More than 50,000 to 60,000 families stay in Dharavi, which is spread over 200 hectares; this corresponds to an average population density estimate between 1,500 and 5,000. Dharavi is sandwiched between Sion and Matunga stations on the Central Railway and Mahim on the Western Railway.

Jorge Mañes Rubio, the museum’s Netherlands-based co-founder, said: “Dharavi is an informal settlement located right in the centre of Mumbai. According to well-circulated statistics, 60% of Mumbaikars live in slums, which occupy 6% of the city’s land. What is less known is that many of these so-called slums have little to do with the kind of apocalyptic imagery sold to the world in blockbuster movies, best-selling books and tabloids. One of the things that Dharavi lacks is a Museum that will showcase local talent.”

"Challenging the preconceived curatorial notions of design institutions today, this museum will feature a much more flexible program, encouraging residents to interact with cultural events. The Design Museum Dharavi reflects on the nomadic nature of thousands of workers and craftsmen who will have the chance to display their skills and take their work to a next level,” he added.

Dharavi has several business units right from textiles to pottery to fabrication to leather industry.

Plastic recycling and garbage segregation too are done here. It has an estimated 5000 businesses and 15,000 single-room factories. Goods produced here go to the Middle East, America and Europe.